Washing-machine



WITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.v

GEORGE GEER, OF UNIONTOWN, ILLINOIS.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 24,207, dated May 81, 1859*.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE GEER, of Uniontown, in the county of Knox and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Clothes-lashing Machinegand I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in

l0 whichl Figure l, is a longitudinal vertical and central section of my invention. Fig. 2, is a plan or top view of do.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention I will proceed to describe it.

A, represents a rectangular bex, in which an endless apron B, is placed. This apron passes around rollers a, a, placed trans versely in the box, the roller a', having its journals fitted in the lower ends of adjustable levers C, C, so that the apron may be strained as taut as desired. The levers C, being secured at any desired point by set screws Z), which pass through curved slots c, in the levers into the sides of the box, see Fig. l. The other roller a, may have its journals fitted in similar levers if desired.

Within the apron B, three rollers D, D, E, are placed. These rollers extend entirely across the box A, and have their journals fitted in sliding blocks cl, which are connected to rods e, said blocks being fitted in the sides of the box, and the rods e, passing up through the sides of the box and having spiral springs f, on them and thumb nuts g. The rollers D, D, E, are not precisely in the same plane the center roller E, is depressed as shown clearly in Fig. l.

F, represents a series of rollers that are corrugated longitudinally and have their journals fitted in heads G, that are placed on a shaft H, which is placed transversely on the box A. The rollers F, are placed in the form of a cylinder between the heads G, and the shaft H, is fitted in permanent bearings h, h. On one end of the shaft I-I,

a pulley z', is placed loosely and connected to it when desired` by a clutch y', which is actuated by a lever I. Aroundrthe pulley i,

a belt j', passes, said belt also passing around a pulley 7c, on the shaft of the roller a, of the apron B. On the opposite end of the shaft H, a crank J, is placed.

The operation is as follows: The box A, is supplied with a requisite quantity of suds, and the clothes to be washed, shown in red, are placed on the apron B. rIhe clothes may be pinned to the apron and the shaft H, and rollers F, may be rotated with a continuous motion, the apron B, carrying the clothes around through the suds and between the rollers D, D, E, and F, the former being pressed upward against the clothes by means of the springs f, f, so as to subject the clothes to the requisite pressure.

The clothes may however be placed on the apron and the cylinder of rollers and endless apron moved back and forth, with a reciprocating motion instead of a continu ous one, and in case one part or portion of the clothes require to be operated upon more than another part, the portion requiring the additional rubbing is brought o-ver the rollers D, D, E, the pulley il, is thrown out of gear with the shaft H, and the cylinder of rollers F, rotated until the work is done, the apron B, remaining stationary. The rollers D, D, E, form a sort of concave so that three of the rollers F, may act on the clothes at once and expedite the work.

In case the apron B, requires to be stretched or made tight at any time, the1 work may be accomplished by adjusting the levers C, C.

I claim, as an improved article of manufacture,

A washing machine provided with a lever I, cylinder of rollers F, clutch (j), endless belt B, adjustable levers C, O, made as set forth, and otherwise constructed as shown, so that by shifting the lever I, the motion of the belt will cease and hold the clot-hes at rest beneath the rotating cylinder of rollers F, and so that the belt B, may be loosened or tightened when desired, by shifting the levers C, C, as herein specified.

GEORGE GEER.

Witnesses WINTHRoP GEER, THEoDoRE A. HUNT. 

